Method and apparatus for aerial deployment of waterfowl decoys

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for deploying a plurality of aerial decoys that extend away from the ground at different elevations includes launching a kite to a position downwind of the desired observation or hunting zone and attaching aerodynamic bird decoys at a plurality of spaced-apart locations along the ascending kite string to simulate a number of birds approaching the landing zone. The decoys are preferably attached to the kite string through a swivel device and the tethered end of the kite string can be supported above a mast or stake that is securely positioned in the ground or bottom of the body of water on to which the birds are to be attracted. The entire assembly is conveniently provided in kit form that is both manually transportable and can be put into use by one individual.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the deployment of aerial decoys for thepurpose of attracting waterfowl flying over water or open fields.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of decoys to attract over-flying waterfowl to induce them toland in water or open fields have been in use for centuries. Variousforms of aerially deployed decoys, some of which give the appearance oflow-flying waterfowl and/or waterfowl that appear to be in a descendingstate in preparation for landing on water or open fields have beendeveloped. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,436,856 and 6,357,160 proposethe use of inflatable aerial decoys that are filled with alighter-than-air gas, e.g., helium, and their attachment at intervals toa tethered length of string. The deployed array of gas-filled decoyswould presumably prove attractive to over-flying waterfowl. However,this proposal does not provide an entirely satisfactory or practicalsolution to the aerial deployment problem. The initial cost ofmanufacturing an inflatable decoy will clearly be substantially greaterthan that of producing other types of aerial decoys from sheet material,since the inflatable portion must be produced from a material that isboth lightweight and also relatively impermeable to the small heliummolecules that provide the lifting force. As is known to even averageobservers, a helium-filled balloon soon loses its lighter-than-aircharacteristic due to the migration of the pressurized helium moleculesthrough the balloon's material.

Inflated decoys are also subject to damage from stray birdshot, whereeven the smallest puncture or tear will result in deflation which may besufficient to bring the entire string down, or render it so unnatural inappearance as to lose its capability to attract waterfowl to the landingsite.

The means for achieving the angular displacement of the inflated decoysto give the appearance of a flight of waterfowl at different heights aswould be seen during a natural ascent is not apparent. It would beexpected that the tethering line would extend substantially vertically,since the inflated decoys will rise upwardly when released.

Another significant logistical problem is securing a source of heliumand the expense to the user. The use of inflated decoys also raises asignificant question concerning their transportation and storage duringthe hunt. It would obviously be most convenient for the hunter toinflate the decoys at the hunting site; however, this means that thehunter would also have to transport the pressurized helium container toand from the site.

In the alternative, the decoys may be inflated at a location where thepressurized helium tank is stored, e.g., the hunter's home, butconsideration must then be given to transporting the inflated decoys tothe general vicinity of the hunt (typically in a motor vehicle) and thenon foot from the vehicle to the site where the retaining line will betethered. Protection of the decoys from damage during transportationraises other logistic considerations. It is entirely foreseeable thatone or more of the inflated decoys may be damaged during shooting and/ortransportation to and from the site of their disposition. The hunter isthen faced with the alternative of providing additional inflatedreplacement decoys or packing the helium container and a repair kit tothe hunting site.

As will be understood from the above considerations, an improvedapparatus and method for aerially deploying a plurality of decoys thatsimulate a group of waterfowl ascending to a landing site are needed.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide such amethod and apparatus that is both reliable and durable and that does notrequire the use of pressurized lighter-than-air gasses to maintain theaerial decoys aloft.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus which can be both transported and put to use by a singlehunter in order to deploy a plurality of aerial decoys at differentaltitudes to thereby attract over-flying waterfowl to a landing site.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a kit ofcomponents that can be arranged in a compact manner in a carrying casetransportable by an individual of average strength and then rapidlyassembled without special tools or equipment to aerially deploy aplurality of decoys.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus fordeploying a number of aerial decoys that are rugged and will resistfailure if they are hit by bird shot and/or suffer minor tears and/orpunctures during the foreseeable conditions of use in the field andtransportation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The method and apparatus of the invention deploys aerial decoys for usein observing, photographing and hunting birds and specificallywaterfowl, including geese and ducks, in open fields and over water. Themethod includes the steps of deploying a kite of known design and liftcapacity that assumes a relatively stable position in flight (ascompared to a so-called stunt kite). The kite string is provided with anumber of spaced-apart points of attachment such as fittings, to whichare attached a plurality of aerial decoys. The tethered end of the kitestring is preferably supported on an attached stationary mast above thesurface of the ground or water to avoid contact with personnel orinterference by other objects at ground level.

Kites of appropriate design can be launched in relatively light winds,e.g., four miles per hour. The kite structure is provided with a numberof strings and means for adjustment that enable the user to adjust theangle of the kite string relative to the surface of the ground or water,and thereby to control the height above the surface at which the kitewill assume a generally stable position during the hunt. The attachedwaterfowl decoys are deployed from the supporting kite string at heightsof between 100 and 200 feet above the ground.

The means for attachment of the aerial decoys preferably includes aswivel device that will permit the attached decoys to rotate around theaxis of the string without becoming twisted or wrapped around the kitestring, thereby shortening the lead line of the decoy. Suitable devicesinclude barrel swivels of the type used in mounting fishing gear tofishing lines.

The points of attachment for the aerial decoys along the kite string canvary from between fifteen and twenty feet, more or less. The decoys canbe attached with a short lead comprising clips and swivels of the typeused in mounting fishing gear, or by braided or monofilament lines ofsuitable strength. In one preferred embodiment, three aerial decoys areattached to the string at intervals of about fifteen feet to give theappearance of three birds descending to the surface for landing.

To facilitate the deployment and the recovery of the aerial decoys andkite, the kite string is conveniently attached to a conventional fishingreel which in turn can be releasably attached to the stationarysupporting mast during storage and use. As the kite is suspended inflight following launching, the reel controls the dispensing of line topermit the user to attach the aerial decoys at the desired positionsalong the kite string. When it comes time for recovery of the aerialdecoy system, the line is manually reeled in and the decoys can bedetached as they come within reach of the mast.

The aerial decoys are preferably of the type that maintain a relativelystable orientation and are assembled with removable struts, much like akite. This permits the decoys to be deconstructed and reduced in sizefor transportation and storage in a compact kit.

The design and construction of the mast is not critical. In a preferredembodiment, the mast and its ground support are constructed as a kit toenable the user to conveniently store, transport and install the mast atthe hunting location. A base unit includes a ground-penetrating tubularspike of suitable length to penetrate the soil in the area of the hunt.The spike can range from twelve to twenty-four inches in length and ispreferably hollow to receive the mast and minimize its weight. Across-member is provided at the upper end of the spike for placement ofthe user's foot to aid in pushing the spike into the ground; the openend of the spike extends above the cross-member to permit the spike tobe driven with a maul or other suitable implement, if necessary. Thespike can also be provided with one or more laterally projecting bladesthat serve to stabilize the spike in loose soil or sand, and to resistany forces transmitted by the kite that might tend to dislodge the mast.

The projecting upper portion of the spike receives one end of the mast,which is preferably either telescoping or constructed of two or moreinterlocking tubular components to facilitate storage, packing andtransportation to the hunting site. Depending upon wind and groundconditions, two or more guy wires with suitable means of attachment atthe upper portion of the mast can be provided to further stabilize themast against the lateral force of the kite. A retainer, such as apulley, swivel eye, snap ring, open loop, or other suitable device toslidably receive the kite string, is affixed to the top of the mast. Thekite string can be positioned in the retainer at the top of the mastprior to attachment to the kite's control lines. The kite string can bestored on a winding device, such as a fishing reel, and the reel can bedetachably secured to a section of the mast in the same manner a fishingreel is attached to a fishing rod.

The particular design and configuration of the aerial decoys is notcritical to the present invention. A wide variety of commerciallyavailable aerial decoys can be utilized in the practice of the methodand apparatus. However, as discussed above, inflated decoys may sufferdamage in the field from stray bird shot, present logistical problemsand are therefore not preferred for use in this invention. Especiallysuitable decoys are those made from synthetic materials in the form offlexible sheets that can be printed with colors and patterns and thathave been shown to be attractive to specific types of game birds.Particularly useful commercial products are those manufactured frompolymeric sheet material which is waterproof, has a very high resistanceto tearing and can maintain its structure and utility if struck by somestray bird shot. A suitable sheet material is sold under the TYVEK®trademark.

Once the kite and decoys have been deployed, the observers or huntingparty assumes appropriate positions along the flight path of theincoming game birds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described below and with reference to theattached drawings in which like and similar elements are referred to bythe same number, and in which:

FIG. 1 is one embodiment of the aerial deployment of decoys inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is one embodiment of a swivel attachment for use with theinvention; and

FIG. 4 is one embodiment of a mounting spike for use with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention(10) is depicted in position on open ground. In this embodiment, mast(20) is preferably constructed of two interlocking or telescopingelements (22,24). A retainer loop (26) is provided at the upper portionof mast (20) to slidingly receive the kite string. The lower end of themast is securely received in ground spike (30), which will be describedin greater detail below. A reel (40) for storing and deploying kitestring (60) is removeably attached to a section of the mast. It will beunderstood that the apparatus of the invention does not require a reelor spool for retaining and storing the kite string. The kite string canbe wrapped in a roll or ball or on other conventional retaining devicesand played out as the kite is launched in a conventional manner. Thefree end of the string can then be secured to the mast, or otherstationary device, such as a fence post or ground stake. As noted above,the attachment of the free end of the kite string at a position abovethe heads of the hunters will avoid interference and promote safer useof the equipment.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the color and to the extentpossible, the size of the lifting or supporting kite will be the same asthe species of the bird that is to be attracted. For example, whenCanada Geese are being hunted or photographed, the kite will be blackand of a size that approximates the extended wing span of this species.A white kite will be used with Snow Geese and when ducks are to beattracted, the dimensions of the kite will be smaller and will becolored to represent, e.g., a mallard duck. As will be apparent, birdsother than water fowl can be attracted by the apparatus and method ofthe invention. For example, crow hunters will employ a relativelysmaller black kite; a white or light-colored kite can also be used tosupport white-wing dove decoys. Other refinements can also be made tothe design and markings of the support kite in order to provide anattractive appearance to waterfowl and birds.

With continuing reference to FIG. 1, kite (50) is provided withadjustable control lines (52) that are conventionally used to controlthe altitude of the kite in flight. Kite string (60) is provided withloops (62) or other fittings for securing the aerial decoys (70). In thepreferred embodiment shown, a single decoy is connected at each point onthe line (60); however, two or more aerial decoys (70), for example, canbe attached by decoy tether lines (72) of different length at a singleposition on string (60). In this regard, FIG. 2 illustrates anembodiment in which the aerial decoys (70) are attached to string (60)with short or no decoy tether lines. In this embodiment, the decoys arealso attached by a swivel.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a section of the kite string (60) is shown at apoint of attachment (62) which includes a small loop fitting to which isattached a barrel swivel (76). The tether line (72) which leads to adecoy is provided with a snap clip for ease of attachment to the barrelswivel (76). It is to be understood that a simple loop can be tieddirectly in the kite string (60) to provide a point of attachment andthat one or more barrel swivels or other functionally equivalent devicescan be placed at any position in the series of fittings that isconvenient for the user. Having in mind that the apparatus will besubjected to use in the field, non-corrosive swivels and other fittingsmade from brass, stainless steel or the like are preferred and thatmultiple redundant swivels can be included in the event of damage due toexposure to dirt and the like.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is illustrated one embodiment of aground-penetrating spike (32) formed from a length of pipe of a diameterthat is suitable for receiving the lower end of mast (24) inclose-fitting relation. In this embodiment, the ground spike is providedwith projecting blades (34) which serve to stabilize the mast againstexternal forces and provide a more secure placement in soft ground,e.g., when the apparatus is used in a water environment. As shown, blade(34) also includes a generally horizontal flange for inserting the spikewith the bottom of a boot or shoe. Additionally, a transverse rod (36)is also positioned to provide for placement of a boot or shoe on eitherside. An optional transverse locking pin (38) can be provided to passthrough opening (39) and correspondingly positioned opening (25) in thelower mask section (24) in order to secure the mast to the ground spike.

In the practice of the method of the invention, kite (50) is launchedusing string (60) and one or more aerial decoys (70) are attached to thestring at spaced-apart locations are also launched as the kite risesabove the ground. When the desired number of decoys is in position, thefree end of string (60) is secured to a fixed location. In the preferredembodiment as described above, the reel (40) attached to mast (20) islocked in position and string (60) is maintained well above ground levelto avoid interference with personnel, dogs, boats or other objectsmoving around in the vicinity of the kite string and mast. The points ofattachment of the plurality of decoys are selected to present theappearance of a flight of waterfowl in a landing attitude, and this forthe purpose of attracting overflying waterfowl to the observation orhunting site.

While several illustrative examples and embodiments of the method andapparatus of the invention have been described, other modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, andthe scope of the invention and its protection is to be determined withrespect to the claims that follow.

1. An apparatus for the aerial deployment of a plurality of airbornebird decoys comprising: a kite, a length of kite string, and a pluralityof aerodynamic bird decoys attached at predetermined intervals to thekite string, whereby the plurality of decoys appear to be in adescending flight array along the kite string when the kite is aloft. 2.The apparatus of claim 1 in which the decoys are secured to the kitestring by a tethering line, whereby the airborne decoys have a degree ofmovement that is free of contact with the kite string.
 3. The apparatusof claim 1 which includes a mounting swivel between the kite string andeach of the decoys.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes at leastone release clip for detachably mounting each decoy to the kite string.5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the kite string includes permanentpoints of attachment for the decoys at predetermined intervals along itslength.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the points of attachmentare selected from loops tied in the string, and clips and swivel devicessecured to the string.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the decoysare attached to the kite string at intervals of about fifteen feet. 8.The apparatus of claim 1 which includes a mounting mast for retainingthe free end of the kite string above ground level.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 8 in which the mast includes a top guide for the kite string and astring-retaining device removably mounted on the mast.
 10. A method forthe aerial deployment of a plurality of bird decoys, the methodcomprising: a. deploying a kite in the air from a depending kite stringin the vicinity of a desired bird landing zone; b. securing a pluralityof individual aerial bird decoys at spaced-apart intervals along thelength of kite string; and c. securing the free end of the kite stringin order to maintain the kite in an airborne condition and the decoysdeployed at differing heights above the ground in proximity to thelanding zone.
 11. The method of claim 10 in which the decoys are securedto the kite string through a swivel device.
 12. The method of claim 10in which each of the plurality of decoys is joined to the kite string bya tethering line.
 13. The method of claim 10 which includes providingthe kite string with a plurality of spaced-apart permanent points ofattachment between the kite and the free end for securing the decoys.14. The method of claim 13 in which each of the points of attachmentinclude at least one swivel device, whereby the kite string is isolatedfrom rotational movement of the aerial decoys during use.
 15. The methodof claim 10 in which each decoy is deployed at the end of a tetheringline and the tethering line is releasably clipped to the kite string ata single point of attachment.
 16. The method of claim 10 which includesthe further steps of: d. securely positioning a mast in the ground inthe desired landing zone; e. mounting a kite string reel on the mast;and f. securing the free end of the kite string to the reel.
 17. Themethod of claim 16 which includes the further step of passing the kitestring through a guide that slidably receives the string at a positionon the upper portion of the mast above the ground.
 18. A manuallyportable kit for use in attracting birds in flight to a landing zone,the kit comprising: a. a plurality of aerial bird decoys constructedfrom flexible sheet material and assembled with reinforcing struts toprovide an aerodynamic structure; b. a kite assembly that includes aflexible kite sheet and reinforcing struts, the kite having sufficientlift to maintain a predetermined plurality of the aerial bird decoysaloft in use; and c. a kite string for flying the kite and securing theplurality of the decoys at spaced-apart points of attachment along thestring to produce the appearance of a flight of birds approaching thelanding zone.
 19. The kit of claim 18 which includes a sectionalmounting mast, the mast having a ground penetrating spike for insertioninto a supporting surface, at least one kite string guide at the upperportion of the mast for slidably receiving the kite string, andretaining means for releasably receiving a kite string storage device.20. The kit of claim 19 which includes a mechanical reel for retainingand securing the free end of the kite string, the reel being removablymountable on the mast.